BUSINESS STANDARDS
is the quarterly magazine of BSI Group, highlighting the vital role that standards play in today's business environment. Regular features include interviews with leading business figures, as well as news on the latest developments in management systems and standards.
Viewpoint
Question: Does business really need an integrated management systems standard?Integrate or disintegrate - which would you choose? Some ten years ago the environmental standard, ISO 14001, was born and there are now over 100,000 organizations registered to it worldwide.
Some 30 years ago, BSI carried out the first assessments to the standard that later developed into ISO 9001. Today there are 800,000 organizations worldwide registered to it. These standards have proved to be incredibly successful and have been widely adopted worldwide.
In the last few weeks, the world's first certificate to the integrated management "standard" PAS 99 was issued. How many of these will there be in ten, 20 or 30 years? It seems likely to me that there will be a large number. Of course, by then, I anticipate the "standard" will no longer be called PAS 99: it will be refined and doubtless improved by the rigours of the international standardization process but it will be there in big numbers.
At the BSI conference in the UK in early March, five per cent of organizations represented already had fully integrated systems. Thirty per cent had systems that were capable of being integrated or were en route to integration. PAS 99 represents a practical way to meet market demand for integrated registration ensuring high standards across all component parts. It was developed by top class practitioners in the art; it is timely; widely recognized and eminently practical. It will be used.
Neil Hannah,
managing director, BSI Management Systems UK
"Numerous businesses have found considerable benefits in integrating the management systems that they operate. Not only is much duplication avoided, but integration can bring coherence to the operation and better business focus. Guidance on integration is valuable and PAS 99 is a significant contribution in this respect.
"At present, there is no requirement for organizations to demonstrate that they have an integrated management system in place. Companies implementing the guidance outlined in PAS 99 are doing so for the benefits it brings to the business."
David Smith, author of PAS 99, director, iMS Risk Solutions
"The integrity of Multisol's management systems stems from their integration at the very start: PAS 99 offers a single framework to address the needs of our suppliers and customers; our environmental responsibilities and our place in the local community as well as mapping the demands of our future development. PAS 99 facilitates an ethos of continuous improvement throughout the organization without labelling topics as relevant for quality, environment or health and safety, so there is a single holistic focus. PAS 99 has provided Multisol with a structure to refine our management systems and the opportunity to incorporate essential control mechanisms, which previously existed outside our accredited systems. We are now able to identify and incorporate relevant aspects of other accredited systems within our controlled management structure."
Hilary Banner, director, Multisol
Business Standards © 2007. Editorial produced by Caspian Publishing in association with the British Standards Institution. Editorial opinions expressed on are not necessarily those of BSI Group or Caspian Publishing. Neither Caspian Publishing nor BSI Group accept responsibility for advertising or editorial content, nor for that appearing on linked third-party websites. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden without written permission from BSI Group or Caspian Publishing.
OCS, an international facilities services group based in the UK, has achieved triple certification to ISO 9001 Quality management, ISO 14001 Environmental management/ and BS OHSAS 18001 Health and safety management with BSI.
Rising waters: revising PAS 1188
For those living in areas that are prone to flooding, having the right protection resources available is essential. While images of emergency sandbags holding back rivers of water may fill the media, there is a much wider range of products available for flood protection.
Gerda, a leading developer and manufacturer of products for the security industry, has become the first company to be awarded the Kitemark for thief-resistant lock assemblies, in line with BS 10621:2007 Thief resistant dual-mode lock assembly.
Sapphire earns a standards hat-trick
Sapphire Energy Recovery, the waste processing and resource recovery business owned by Lafarge Cement, has achieved certification to three management systems standards (ISO 9001 Quality management, ISO 14001 Environmental management and BS OHSAS 18001 Health and safety management) from BSI. Sapphire is the UK's leading processor of used tyres, and sources and manages the logistics of a range of waste-derived fuels and raw materials for the cement industry.
While there was a time when companies would never consider working alongside the competition, today's marketplace demands a more flexible approach. Collaboration is fast becoming par for the course. For example, large government contracts often require expertise that goes far beyond any one company's capacity to deliver. Forming a consortium brings together the right experience in the right place, and it can mean the difference between winning or losing a tender.
We are under increasing pressure to comply with a growing number of regulations and to maintain growth - while under greater scrutiny than ever before. How can this be good for business?
We are all in the risk management business. In the current climate, as consumers we are encouraged to claim compensation or sue for damages for almost any negative incident we encounter.
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